warhammer40kfanonfandomcom-20200216-history
Warp Knights
The Warp Knights are a rogue Third Founding Space Marine Chapter of unknown origins. Led by Chapter Master Ortavian Rex they spend countless years in the Immaterium at a time, waiting for the moment to strike. Equipped in outdated armour they are still a force to be reckoned with and will often unleash their entire chapter against their most hated foe, the Necrons. Ignoring all the Imperium commanded the Warp Knights see no problem with viewing xenos as allies and have fought alongside Tau, Eldar and, rarely, even Ork warbands to destroy Necron forces. A chosen few have even seen inside the webway. Considered traitors they are shunned by the Imperium they serve. The warp knights would rather fight alongside the dread legions of chaos and risk eternal damnation than lose a single world to the Necrons, though thankfully this has never had to be put to the test. Eschewing bikes and many jump packs the warp knights prefer terminator armour and massed armoured infantry assaults. With all the time spent in the warp they undoubtedly lose equipment and suffer casualties. The Warp Knights will readily use any captured arms they find and are not above taking gene-seed from any Astartes bodies they find. History Founding The Warp Knights were created in 001.M32, the third founding, from an undisclosed chapter though many believe it is from the Imperial Fists that they originate. The homeworld, now destroyed, was removed from imperial records though all that is known is that it was a tomb world dangerously close to the Eye of Terror. This closeness to the warp may have led to the chapter's views on the wider universe. Recruits to the Warp Knights were put through incredibly rigorous training regimes, tested well beyond their limits and capabilities, breaking them and seeing who pushed on even when physically and mentally drained and exhausted. And while this made recruitment slow, it ensured that the Chapter got the warriors they needed. Indoctrination was deemed less vital than fighting capability and as such the Warp Knights were amongst the, if not the most, non-zealous Chapters. The Chapter was loosely based on knights of Terran Legend, heavily armoured troops striking swiftly. But while Khan's legion rode on bikes the Warp knights were already developing their fast drop pod assaults. Around this time they were engaged in numerous battles with chaos forces from the eye of terror, most notably against the followers of Slaanesh. It was in 098.M32 that the Warp Knights fought against multiple noise marine warbands, it was as though the chapter was taking on the entire Emperor's Children legion and was their crowning glory. It was during a full-scale battle that Veteran Sergeant Drannoth led his vanguard squad against a daemon prince believed to be Fulgrim himself. His squad perished around him but he himself was able to land numerous blows before being practically cut in half by the daemon prince. Though the identity of the daemon prince is still unknown and is not likely to be Fulgrim, Drannoth was interred in a Dreadnought sarcophagus and the Chapter hails him as hero among heroes, an Astartes who fought a Primarch. Only the timely intervention of both the destroyed chapters enabled the Warp Knights to survive. The Hated Foe In 568 M33 something changed. Flight to the Warp ...leaving their dying home world behind, the Warp Knights fled into the Eye of Terror. Swearing to never speak of what happened they embarked upon a crusade against the Necrons, doing whatever they could, no matter how heretical, to ensure the galaxy would be rid of the Necrontyr for all time. Notable Battles As of M41 the Warp Knights are engaged in battle with the Praetors of Nocturne on their homeworld of Paladex. Drawn by the rumour that Paladex was a tomb world the entire chapter attacked the planet. Sriking back the Praetors of Nocturne engaged them in battle and it has raged on since then, the Praetors too proud and noble to ask for or accept help. Chapter Beliefs This is their unwritten motto and drives the Warp Knights on. For only when man and xenos have united do they believe the Imperium can truly survive. Chapter Organisation In most areas the Warp Knights follow codex organisation however the assault company is replaced by a dedicated drop pod transport company, to better suit their needs and methods. First company Terminators always attack in full strength wherever possible and as suc gain transport priority. Due to the chapter's nature Land Raiders are uncommon and as such armoured support is mostly provided by Predators and Whirlwinds. 200 marines are permanently kept aboard the fleet to fight boarders and as a backup if the main force were ever to be destroyed. Although they maintain a far larger than average astropathic choir the Chapter has no Librarians at all viewing them as dangerous, something quite at odds with their tolerance of Eldar. In this way they have oft had aid from Ulthwé when dealing with psyker heavy enemy forces. Unique Units The Warp Knights are known to contain a number of unique or non-''Codex'' units: *'Redeemers' - A Redeemer is the Warp Knight equivalent of a Chaplain. Though he still wears the Rosarius and Black Chaplain armour his weapon and purpose are somewhat different. Carrying an upgraded reductor that can tear through armour instead of a Crozius Arcanum the Redeemer's purpose is still to Inspire the Chapter onwards but also claim the gene-seed from ANY viable marines they find. Whether a dead Astartes from a previous war or a chaos marine that shows very little mutation the Redeemer will harvest it for the good of the chapter and 'redeem' whatever marine it came from. *'Centurion Squads' - A titular throwback to pre-heresy legions, a Centurion squad will be made up of veterans who have seen over 300 years of service, have fought in over 1,000 battles and have had experience of leading a force to war. They are not assigned to any company. Armed with potent xenos weaponary, artificer armour and refractor fields they are a potent force on the battlefield, due to their small numbers however they are rarely deployed unless absolutely necessary. A squad will often consist of 5-10 marines and often led by a Venerable dreadnought. *'The Relentless' - The Relentless are an elite squad of Terminators equipped in cataphractii patter Terminator armour and pre-hersey weapons. Only 5 are ever present in the chapter and are tasked with drawing fire and protecting the Chapter Master although on occasion are dropped in to seek out and destroy monoliths. Chapter Equipment Ranged Weapons Bolters Although xenos weapons are used the standard weapon for the Warp Knight is the Holy Bolter and as a rule bolters are never scavenged from fallen enemies. Unable to be replaced each one has been passed through the chapter and has seen more battles than most marines, well looked after they are often decorated by each marine that wields them, resulting in unique weapons. Heavy bolters are amongst the least common heavy weapons the chapter fields, although they are commonly used upon vehicles, infantry will often prefer to use Melta and missile weapons as they perform better against Necron enemies. Nonetheless the heavy bolter still sees service against less armoured foes such as Dark Eldar and Orks. The Bolt Pistol is commonly wielded by Sergeants although many will replace it with a weapon scavenged from the battlefield. Shard and Shuriken pistols are the most common though the most prized is the Tau Pulse pistol, rarely seen in battle these weapons are prized trophies held by a select few. Melta Weaponry Meltas and Multimeltas are a Warp Knights first choice when it comes to combatting Necrons. Easily able to melt through necrodermis most Tactical squads will field either a Melta or Multimelta amongst their number Plasma Weaponary Plasma pistols, guns and cannons see use within the chapter as suppression weapons, their primary use to knock out heavy infantry or at the very least halttheir progress. Mainly used against the forces of chaos they are commonly seen upon Dreadnoughts. Lascannons Solely used by Devastators and Predator tanks the Lascannon is used for taking out enemy vehicles at long ranges. The targetting sytems for the weapons are often heavily modified by the Chapter's Techmarines to provide better accuracy on the move. Assault Cannons Favoured by the first company, assault cannons are used by Terminators, Dreadnoughts and mounted on Land Speeders. As all these units are often deepstriked in they are used to lay down a withering hail of fire as soon as the Warp Knights make planetfall. Missiles Used all over the Chapter, krak missiles and rockets are used to great effect to pick off Necrons, ensuring they do not rise again. Xenos Tech The chapter possesses a modest arary of captured xenos weaponary. Most of them are Shuriken and shard variants, although some pulse weapons are used also. Some veteran squads will take shuriken pistols as a sidearm and at least one Dreadnought is known to mount s Shuriken Cannon in place of a standard Imperial weapon. Standard Combat Weaponry Standard combat weapons for the Warp Knights are power swords and similar. Powerfists are only taken by Terminator-arnoured marines. Chainswords often have the blades replaced with xenos claws or teeth, enhancing their destructive capabilities. Eldar power swords and similar weapons from xenos species are routinely used by assault marines and veterans. Witchblades are often used as a symbol of power, the wielder having fought a psyker and won. Though the blade's power cannot be fully realised as the wielder has no psychic abilities, the razor sharp edges are potent enough on their own. Armour The Warp Knights possess a wide array of Astartes armour. Though the mk7 Aquilan armour is still prevailant there are many suits of mk6 Corvus and Mk3 Iron armour and limited numbers of other marks held by the chapter. Many of these older suits have been scavenged from battlefields and repaired to working condition, resulting in a Chapter that no two squads look the same, such is the variety of armour A number of the older suits are artificer armour and are treated as relics by the Chapter, reserved only for the greatest warriors in the chapter. All suits of Terminator armour, are as up to date as possible, such is the importance placed upon the first company that all must have the best armour available. The 'Relentless' however wear cataphractii pattern Terminator armour, which although slower and harder to maintain offers increased protection. Vehicles The Warp Knights utilise many vehicles in their ongoing war against the Necrosn Land Speeders Due to their ability to deep strike Land Speeders are dropped in shortly after the Terminators to provide flexible, fast, support. Most are equipped for dealing with light infantry and will harass the enemy flanks, allowing the infantry to close in for the kill Rhino Chassis The ubiquitous rhino chassis is the base for a number of Warp Knights vehicles. The Rhino APC is often flown in by Thunderhawk and will protect infantry on mission where extra armour is required. Razorbacks Due to the smaller troop capacity razorbacks are not often used except on occasions where more firepower is absolutely necessary. Predators Whirlwinds Heavy Vehicles Dreadnoughts Venerable Contemptor Ironclad Other Chapter Doctrine Although the Necrons are the favoured enemy of the Warp Knights, the chapter will face any opponent who would attack them, and on several occasions have launched assaults on other chapters who stand between them and a Necron force. Warp Knight doctrine dictates that on any rumour of a tomb world the entire chapter immediately mobilises and goes to investigate. Standard Warp Knights Tactics A Warp Knight force will wait in the warp, the entire fleet ready to drop out at any moment. Coming out of warpspace they immediately deep strike in numerous Terminator squads followed by whole companies in drop pods and other xenos forms of transport, whichever will get them down first. The Infantry line will slowly but surely move forward with armour landed in by ThunderHawk. With this method they can strike at the slow reacting Necrons they often face and dispatch them before they are all fully awoken. Notable Warp Knights *'Chapter Master Ortavian Rex' *'Venerable Dreadnought Drannoth' *'High Redeemer Altazan' *'Velathonn, First Centurion' Chapter Fleet The battlefleet of the Warp Knights is larger than most chapters but is full of antiquated ships from the Horus Heresy. Chapter Appearance Chapter Colours The chapter colour is burgundy with chest decoration, shoulder trim, helmet and Greaves in gold. First company Terminators however have the gold replaced with blue detail to represent the great seas of their long gone homeworld.This is an honour bestowed only upon the first company, Chapter Master and some Venerable Dreadnoughts, as they are consistently the first onto any battlefield. Comany number is on the marine's right leg and squad number on the left. The left shoulder pauldron proudly bears the Chapter's iconography. The right shoulder pauldron does not denote troop type but is meant to carry any battle honours the individual may have acquired. In the case of battle-damage armour is oft reinforced with whatever comes to hand, and Tyranid hide is a favoured replacement for destroyed shoulder armour. Armour of varying marks is worn by the chapter and amongst high-ranking officers is often combined with wraithbone plate, for added protection. Chapter Badge The Warp Knights' Chapter badge is a symbol of a styilised drop falling from the sky. Notable Quotes By the Warp Knights Feel free to add your own About the Warp Knights Feel free to add your own Gallery Category:Renegade Chapter Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Unknown Geneseed Category:Warp Knights Category:3rd Founding